The cast of the hit ABC series Once Upon A Time, including stars Lana Parrilla, Michael Raymond-James, Colin O’Donoghue, Jennifer Morrison, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Carlyle, along with executive producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz spoke at SDCC 2013, and Convention Scene’s own Richard Oh was there.

The cast of the CW hit show Beauty and the Beast, including stars Kristin Kreuk and Jay Ryan, along with executive producers Jennifer Levin and Sherri Cooper spoke at SDCC 2013, and Convention Scene’s own Richard Oh was there.

On March 29-31, 2013, Anaheim was home to Wondercon 2013! With the decision to keep Wondercon in Anaheim this year, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was a permanent move. The numbers seem to support that decision, with record numbers attending the show, backing with CCI’s reputation of entertaining fans with celebrities, comic book superstars, and amazing vendors! In addition, it’s proximity to Disneyland is always a big plus for any guy wanting to entertain the whole family.

The show floor was bigger this year, almost replicating the 2 show floor model that ECCC used this year. Also, the huge convention center dome was used to house movie and TV stars to promote their latest works. It was definitely a well run show, and this reporter definitely had a great time talking to fans, artists, and celebrities. Wondercon definitely put on a great show, and whether it’s in Anaheim or San Francisco, and I can’t wait for next year!

Now, on to the amazing things I got to see at the show:

Welcome to Wondercon 2013!

My first stop: joining the long line of fans for the Wondercon exclusives of Mondo!

Ron Lim signing some Thanos related books in Artist Alley.

Jim Steranko signing some Nick Fury books at his booth.

Admiring the beautiful Arrow statue on display at the DC booth…

And then bumping into some fans on the show floor.

The awesome display at the Oblivion booth.

And a Rocketeer behind the banner posing for fans.

Shredder and Deadpool yelling and random people on the floor. Instant comedy.

Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld sketching for fans all weekend.

Kristin Kreuk posing for photographers at Wondercon for Beauty and the Beast!

A Superman fan dressed up for the premiere for Superman Unbound.

Batman rogues running amuck at Wondercon.

Scott Snyder, Jim Lee, and Alex Sinclair, signing at the DC booth at the end of the day.

Marc Silvestri sketching for fans all weekend on his birthday!

Stan Lee came by and wishing Marc a happy birthday!

An amazing Witchblade cosplayer delighting Marc and his fans!

Excited fans waiting in line for Pac Rim.

I got to meet the talented artist Ethan Castillo in the Dan Slott line! Here’s a piece that was inspired by Humberto Ramos.

Dan Slott showing Scott Snyder some love at his signing.

The cast of Revolution sharing a laugh at Wondercon.

Mark Waid talking to the Boom Studios crew.

Humberto Ramos working on a commission at Wondercon.

The crowd waiting for Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing panel.

Joss Whedon and the Much Ado about Nothing cast at their Sunday morning panel.

Olly Moss and Mike Mitchell signing at the Mondo booth!

The Arrow cast pose for pictures at Wondercon!

Packed house, even on Easter Sunday!

Speaking of Easter, only Wondercon can get zombie Jesus and PSY together.

The show took place at the Holiday Inn & Suites in Daytona Beach, Florida. The dealers were all located in one small ballroom with a second room set aside for creators from AC Comics, a local publisher known for their Femforce title, who were celebrating their 30th Anniversary in comics.

It was a very comic-centric show with plenty of collectibles as well. According to a post to their Facebook page, attendance was a scant 160 people, down from 250 for a previous show. They suggest the weather may have been a factor and that is definitely a possibility (it was a cold and windy day), but it is worth noting that a celebration at Coliseum of Comics featuring George Perez in Sanford the day before might have supplied some people with their comic fix for the weekend, plus a new convention, Geek Fest Florida, was also taking place in Boca Raton the same day.

It was an enjoyable show for me and my family who attended with me. Another dealer bought the entire box of action figures I brought with me within the first 5 minutes of the show, and another guy purchased a bunch of trading card sets as well. After that, it was a slow climb the rest of the day with $1 to $3 comics. I made my last sale around 2:20, however, and the show was dead after that. We packed up and left around 4:30.

I did not take any photos at the show; instead, I focused on putting together my first ever Convention Scene video. Check it out below; at least watch the first 10 seconds to catch the snazzy video intro.

Marvel had one of their “Next Big Thing” conference calls for the Marvel NOW! title Avengers Arena so it seems a good time to explain why I have chosen not to buy the series.

It’s tempting to buy it, certainly, as it features a number of characters I am a fan of including The Runaways and the cast of Avengers Academy. But here’s the thing…the series has promised the deaths of characters as they are pitted against each other by Arcade. Therefore, the longer the series runs the more deaths are going to happen. So if you are a fan of a character like, say, Darkhawk, your best bet for the character’s survival is for the series to be cancelled before they get around to killing him.

So I have decided not to purchase the series, and if you have favorites in the cast of the book, you might think about doing the same.

On November 3-4, 2012, the 4th annual Long Beach Comic and Horror Con took place at the Long Beach Convention Center. In the 3 shows prior to this one, fans usually had a star studded line up or Halloween to coincide with the show. However, with the show taking place the weekend after Halloween, and with the guest list nearly identical to last year sans two of its biggest stars in David Finch and Brandon Peterson, this year’s show lacked the flair of the previous 3. In spite of this, the attendees of the show did have a good time, with a lot of families showing up to partake in the festivities, as well a lot of cosplayers recycling their Halloween costumes. While it may not have been as strong as in years past, I’m confident the show will rebound next year, and will finish the comic convention season strong. But for now, here was my view of this year’s show.

An awesome TMNT battle van outside the convention (complete with a Michaelangelo!).

The Hard Rock casino in Las Vegas was home to the inaugural MorrisonCon on September 29-30, 2012. Going in, I had no idea what to expect from this show. I knew that 10 of the biggest names were special guests, including Grant Morrison, frequent collaborators Frank Quitely, Darick Robertson, and Chris Burnham, along with comic superstars Robert Kirkman, Jim Lee, Jason Aaron, Jonathan Hickman, and Gerard Way. Also invited were Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, Chronicle writer Max Landis, and musical guests Jimmy Urine and Akira the Don.

The crowd waiting for the start of MorrisonCon.

James Sime greeting the crowd for the “Inaugural Awakening”.

The energy of the crowd was palpable the minute I set foot in the main room. James Sime, the founder of Isotope Comics, stirred up the crowd with frenetic energy, setting up an introduction to Grant Morrison, who immediately proceeded to introduce Chris Burnham and Frank Quitely, and went straight into talking about upcoming artwork with their respective projects. It was fascinating to see the thought processes of the artists, and how they each interpreted Grant’s scripts and how it translated on to a page. Shortly after, Darick Robertson also joined the trio, and gave his take on working with Grant.

The next panel involved Jonathan Hickman (Fantastic Four), JH Williams (Batwoman), Jason Aaron (Wolverine and the X-Men, Avengers vs. X-Men), Robert Kirkman (Walking Dead, Invincible), and Grant Morrison talking about the comic book writing process. From talking about approach to plotting out storylines, to being aware of page turns for reader shock value, to working with different artists and how they might interact with different story tellers, it was a fantastic panel to gain insight from 5 of the biggest writers in comics today.

Jonathan Hickman, JH Williams III, Jason Aaron, Robert Kirkman and Grant Morrison talking about what they do best: writing.

And since you can’t have comics without art, the following panel featured Chris Burnham, Frank Quitely, JH Williams III, Darick Robertson, and Jim Lee. The artists talked about influences, how they go about laying out pages, to new artists in comics that they personally enjoy. And of course, you can’t have an artist panel without art. Each artist chose a random guest’s sketchbook to draw in, and it was awesome to see them sketch away.

After an hour lunch break, the show continued with a musical based panel, featuring Akira the Don, Gerard Way, Darick Robertson, Grant Morrison, JH Williams III, and Jimmy Urine. It was awesome to see the panelists talk about how music was so intertwined in to their comics, from Gerard Way talking about listening to Tarantula by the Smashing Pumpkins while scripting an entire issue of Umbrella Academy, to the first concerts they’ve all attended, to an improptu performance of I Wanna Hold Your Hand by Darick, Grant and Akira which brought the crowd to their feet.

Gerard Way: I think I got into music, because… the sex that I already wasn’t having, I wanted to intensify that… Did you guys take a look at me when the band started? I was trying to get as far away from sexual activity.

The last panel of the show for me was the movie panel, featuring Max Landis, James Gunn, Darick Robertson, and Grant Morrison. Although the panel did get sidetracked at times, it was awesome to see James Gunn and Max Landis debating whether Chronicle was a superhero film and what defines a super hero, as well as Landis arguing with Darick Robertson on what he felt was a huge flaw of The Boys.

Grant Morrison: Superheroes aren’t a genre, which is mistake people often make… They’re an ingredient, not a genre. That’s why they’ll last forever.

On top of these amazing panels, there was also creator signings, where you actually had a reserved spot for a specific writer or artist, and you actually got to talk with them for more than the 10 seconds you’re usually alotted at usual cons. That to me was one THE highlight of the show, and I felt it was completely awesome that the artists and writers would embrace the idea, and enjoyed interacting with fans in a more intimate setting.

Grant Morrison chatting with a fan, while the line awaits with anticipation.

This show was definitely a one of a kind experience, and I believe is something all comic fans should definitely try attending once in their lifetime. If you ever wanted an comics show that was purely comics based, this is it. With rumors that this show could come back in the future, I’d definitely keep my eye out when tickets go on sale.

On September 15-16, 2012, Los Angeles was home to Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo, the joint venture between the successful Comikaze Expo from the previous year, and the legendary Marvel creator. Following an unexpected but successful show in 2011, I had a feeling that Stan’s involvement would only heighten publicity and draw more fans, and I was happy to see the massive crowds that surrounded the Convention Center on that Saturday morning.

I’m not sure how to attribute Comikaze’s success in a LA market that has seen repeated attempts at a comic convention in downtown met with constant failure, but co-founder Regina Carpinelli utilized social media to its fullest in spreading the word about the show. From Livingsocial deals to advertisements in the paper, to spreading the words in schools to attract kids and twitter, Carpinelli’s efforts were met with a record number crowds in their sophomore show.

The show itself was a lot bigger than its inaugural year. Moving from the underground parking lot to the main floor, the show was definitely more spacious. With artist alley scattered throughout the floor, plenty of space for vendors, along with a huge stage for Q and A’s from special guests and even a huge space towards the back for a zombie obstacle course, Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo had something for everyone. With the amazing progress from year 1 to year 2, I can only see a bright future ahead for Comikaze. In time, I can see it perhaps becoming one of the premiere comic cons in the US. And now, here are some pics from this year’s show!

San Diego was home to the biggest pop culture event of the year on July 11-15, 2012, with the 43rd annual Comic Con taking place. In my 8 years of attending the show, I’ve never seen the convention halls that packed! With lines for everything, from the infamous Hall H, to the new autograph line system, as well as Ballrooms with various panels, including a 10 year reunion panel for Firefly, Comic Con definitely made me feel as if it finally hit capacity and rumors rumbled around that perhaps Comic Con might have outgrown San Diego.

There were definite ways to improve comic con, including controlling the flow of people going in and out of the show floor, but over all, it was yet another very fun con, with amazing guests, and tons of things to do or buy at the show. With the final Twilight panel in San Diego, Henry Cavill’s surprise appearance for Man of Steel, along with fan favorite shows such as Big Bang Theory and Dr. Who, as well as the Walking Dead Zombie Run at Petco Park across the street, Comic Con had something for everyone! While I wasn’t on the show floor as much as I’d like to have been, here are the things I saw and experienced at this year’s show. And a hello to all the readers I met at the show who loved our site!

Welcome to Comic Con International!

Guests waiting for doors to open. Most frustrating part of Comic Con was trying to figure out which doors were entrances or exits. Can someone please put signs up?

And they’re off to the races!

What goodies did you pick up?

Charlie Adlard signing copies of the Walking Dead 100, released on preview night!

After hitting up artist alley and signing up for some commissions, I had a meeting with the Disney Store booth, showing me the latest in vinylmation figures for sale at the show and online!

To win a limited edition So Tasty hat, please comment below or RT the con report with the hashtag, #DisneySDCC.

The So Tasty line that debuted at Comic Con that smell just like the snacks they represent!

Cosplayers rejoice! The top left sheriff badge is a replica of Rick’s badge from the Walking Dead!

The designers at Gentle Giant looked back at their own collections just to make sure of the figures released that reproduce the Cantina bar scene!

The last of the Harry Potter figures feature Harry and Voldemort at the apex of their powers.

Comic Con exclusives! Who got the awesome Thanos bust?

After the awesome meeting with Gentle Giant, I had press conferences all day (audio will be posted later this week). Here are some pictures!

At the Beauty and the Beast press roundtables.

Tim Burton and crew discuss Frankenweenie!

The cast and crew for Oz The Great and Powerful.

The cast and crew for Wreck-It Ralph!

After roundtables and press conferences, it was party time!

Taking a pedicab around the Gaslamp District!

Got to attend the TV Line party at Nerd HQ and meet Michael Ausiello!

Awesome backdrop for the Dexter party.

Meeting the lovely Yvonne Strahovski was one of the highlights of SDCC 2012!

Partying all night was not conducive to an early morning, but I managed to wake up to my alarm, and make the autograph ticket lines, scoring a Game of Thrones sign pass.
On the agenda for Friday was the Resident Evil 5 press roundtables, Firefly press conference, as well as the Game of Thrones signing!

Taking a quick pic with the amazing Milla Jovovich after our roundtable interview!

In between all that, I got to check out the awesome Batmobiles on the lawn outside the convention center! (All pictures of Batmobiles taken by Gary Deocampo)

Adam West Batmobile!

Michael Keaton Batmobile!

Val Kilmer Batmobile!

George Clooney Batmobile!

Christian Bale Batmobile AKA Tumbler!

And for those Superman fans, here’s the costume from the movie (Picture taken by Gary Deocampo)!

AFter the excitement from the past 3 days, what else could Comic Con possibly have up their sleeves?
How about Breaking Bad, Robert Downey Jr., Walking Dead Zombie Run at Petco Park, and an awesome exclusive print by Mondo?

The insane line on Saturday morning!

With my con luck kicking into overdrive, I managed to get in line for the cast of Breaking Bad at the 10 AM signing at the Sony booth! The whole cast was very generous with their time, signing, taking pictures, and was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had at Comic Con!